Compressed gas pump for deep boreholes



2 Sheets-Sheet l E.` MAIER AAMA.

COMPRESSED GAS PUMP FOR DEEP BOREHOLES INVENTOR. Emilio Maier.

ATTORNIY Jan. 4, 1955 Filed sept. 27. 1949 Jan. 4, 1955 E. MAIERcoMPREssED @As PUMP PoR DEEP BoREHoLEs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27

United States Patent O COMPRESSED GAS PUMP FOR DEEP BOREHOLES EmilioMaier, Ramos Mejia, Argentina Application September 27, 1949, Serial No.118,126

2 Claims. (Cl. 10S-46) The present invention refers to a pump forextracting water or oil from depths exceeding 1,000 metres, or forpressurizing the corresponding liquid, by means of cornpressed gasdistributed through an automatic slide valve.

The construction of compressed-gas actuated pumps is already known tothe art; in these known constructions, however, the gas is mixed withthe liquid and both escape upwardly, reducing their specific weight.This system has the great disadvantage that the liquid cannot owcontinuously and that the force of inertia is wasted. The main riserpipe or lifting tube, after each actuating stroke, must be emptied inorder to enable the liquid to re-enter the foot valve. This proceduregives rise to long interruptions between one operation and another.

In the system according to the present invention, the compressed gas isallowed to escape freely through one passage or pipe, while the liquidin the main riser pipe or lifting tube continues owing due to the forceof inertia during the escape of the gas or the new admission of liquidinto the thrust chamber.

Displacement of the slide valve is effected by means of a oat at thebottom of the lifting tube string, balanced against the pressure, or,alternatively, by a piston in the upper units provided with a safety ordischarge valve, respectively.

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood andreadily put into practice, a preferred embodiment thereof will now bedescribed with particular reference to attached drawings, saidembodiment to be taken as an illustrative example only and in no ways asa limitation of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figures 1-4 inclusive, are vertical sectional views of a deep well pumpstructure embodying the invention.

In the drawings, the top end of Fig. 2 is a continuation of Fig. l; thetop end of Fig. 3 is a continuation of IIig. 2; and the top end of Fig.4 is a continuation of Like numerals represent like or similar partsthroughout the several gures of the drawings.

The outer casing 48 is provided at its upper end with a header 14 havinga compressed gas inlet line 4, a lateral liquid outlet connection 13,and another lateral discharge connection 26 for expanded or spent gas.

A lifting tube string 12 is suspended from the header 14 and issupported within and concentrically of the outer casing 48. This liftingtube string includes sections 9 of less diameter than the casing and iscomposed of a series of pipe sections coupled in the conventional mannerand having interposed therein at spaced intervals a series of liquidlifting units. These units intercommunicate in the respect that they allreceive compressed gas through pipe 4 and its counterparts 4' and haveslide valve controlled ports opened and closed by the movement of eitheroat valve 6, Figure 4, or a piston 33, Fig. 3 to first admit compressedgas above the water or other liquid trapped in the thrust chamber ofeach unit and thus cause the pistons to push the liquid upwardly in thelifting tube to outlet connection 13, and, at the end of the liquidlifting stroke permit expanded or spent gases to pass into annularchamber 25 to escape through spent gas discharge connection 26. Theannular chamber 25 is, as shown in Figure 1, formed between the outercasing 48 and the tubing string 12. Also as shown in Figure 2. thischamber 25 continues downwardly and is formed between the outer casing48 2,698,581 Patented Jan. 4, 1955 vice and the tubing 9. In Figure 3,the annular chamber 25 continues to be formed between the outer casing48 and tubing 9 but as will be observed from the lower end of Figure 3and the upper portion of Figure 4, the annular space 25 is formedbetween the tubing 9 and the pipe or sheath 3, the said sheath 3extending downwardly in Figure 4 and having threaded engagement with thecoupling 35.

In the case of the lowermost unit (Fig. 4), the piston 33 is replaced bya valved float 6 so that functionally, though not structurally, thepistons of upper units are the equivalent of the oat since both actuatea related slide valve 16.

In Figure 4, the openings 17 and 18 of this slide valve 16, later to bedescribed, are shown in registry so that compressed gas supplied throughline 4 may escape into the gas chamber 5 at the lower end of the liftingtube, said chamber being above the oat 6, and the latter operating inthrust chamber 7 to force liquid out of the lower end of tube section 8into the lifting space between 8 and 9.

The piston and the slide valve, Figs. 3 and 4 respectively, are shown inposition to allow the spent gas to leave the trap chamber, and thepiston about to rise due to the rise of the liquid brought about by thefilling of the thrust chamber.

The lowermost lifting unit should be submerged from l0 to 30 metersbelow the level of the liquid which enters through the foot valve 1, andas there is no gas pressure at all the liquid enters and fills theentire interior of the casing 48 including annular space 25 up to thelevel marked 2, Fig. 3. Pipe 3 surrounding pipe 9 should project a fewmeters above the liquid level to allow the gas to freely escape withoutmixing with the liquid. Except for the fact that the lowermost unit usesfloat 6 instead of piston 33 to actuate the slide valves, a generaldescription of the lowermost unit will apply to those above it andincluding said pistons.

Compressed gas is caused to pass through pipe 4 into chamber 5 of tube 8and as thrust chamber 7 is full of liquid the oat 6, in its upperposition is subjected to downward pressure to force the liquid inchamber 7 around the lower end of trap tube 8 as shown by the arrows(Fig. 4), to enter the annular passage or space between tube sections 8and 9, passing through bore 10 to check valves 11 and through the unitsof tubing string 12 to water or liuuid outlet 13 of header 14.

Each lifting unit has the inner trap tube portion 8 containing a float 6or a piston 33 which moves downward due to the gas pressure and upwarddue to the rise of the liquid on account of the filling of the trapchamber of a particular unit or the action of other lower chambers 7.Tube section 9 communicates with passage 10 controlled by check valve11, mounted in coupling 35. In the uppermost unit of Fig. 3 in additionto the check valve 11, the coupling has a bore for a nipple 28 toconnect with the compressed gas pipe 4. The coupling 35 (Fig. 4) has atits lower end a reduced threaded portion 39 to carry tube section 8 andis provided with a central bore 36, a bore 10 for the passage of theliquid, and also has a bore 24 for the compressed gas and a bore 23 forthe exit of the spent gas.

The upper socket end of central bore 36 is threaded at 30 to receive apipe 21 having ports 22 communicating with spent gas bore 23 leading toexhaust suace 25. The upper end of an exhaust pipe 21 rigidly receivesthe pressure gas pipe section 4' which communicates with bore 24 leadingto main gas pressure line 4. The pipe 21 flares outwardly about the pipesection 4 and then iits the same snugly at its lower end, said aredportion providing a space or passage for conducting spent gas to ports22 from ports 20 when ports 19 of slide valve member 16 (Fig. 4)register therewith. The gas pressure pipe section 4 is also providedwith ports 18 adapted to register with ports 17 to permit fresh gaspressure to enter chamber 5 when slide valve 16 is pushed up to closeports 19 and 20. The upper end 16a of slide valve 16 is of reduceddiameter to enter a socket portion 35 in the coupling 35, said reducedportion acting as a guide and the shoulder between the reduced portionand the main portion constituting an abutment to limit the slidingmovement of the valve 16.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4 the slide valve is externally provided withannular keeper grooves 27 and 27 to receive rollers 37 carried by springarms 38 rigidly supported at their upper ends on the lower portion ofcoupling 35. This arrangement, in different positions of the slide valvekeeps ports 19 and 20, or ports 17 and 18 in registry for the properphase of the pumping cycle. Said slide valve member has an elongatedstem portion 46 embracing gas pipe extension 4' and at the junctionofsaid sleeve portion with the valve body, there is provided a pistonabutment shoulder 47.

The piston 33 (Fig. 3) lits snugly in tube section 8 and includes abushing 34 which slidably bears on the lower stem portion 46 of thevalve member 16 (Fig. 2) which telescopes over the lower end of gas pipeextension 4.

When the slide valve is in its upper position, ports 17 and 18 register(see Figs. 2 and 4) and allow the compressed gas to enter chamber 5pressing the piston downward along extension 46 of.slide valve 16 untilit strikesagainst abutment 15 of the slide valve displacing the latterto its lower position, blocking the inflow of compressed gas until ports19 of the slide valve and 20 of the pipe 21 to register, allowing thespent gas to escape or exhaust through the openings 22 of passage 23 andspace 25 and outlet 26 of header 14. The piston after the exhaust cycle,slides upward again under liquid pressure until it strikes shoulder 47of the slide valve and again allows compressed gas to enter throughports 17 and 18.

When the rollers 37 enter an annular groove 27 of the slide valve thelatter is in its upper position, and is held there until either oat 6 orpiston 33 on descending strikes against abutment 15 of the slide valvesleeve, displacing it downward until ports 17 are closed and ports 19 ofthe valve and ports 20 of the pipe 21 register. In this position,rollers 37 enter the annular groove 27', and the gas escapes fromchamber 5 through registering ports 19 and 20 and into space between 4and 21 and goes out through ports 22 into spent gas passage 23 to theannular space 25 between outer casing 48 and lifting ttbe section 9 toexpanded gas outlet 26 of header 14. The piston then begins to slideupward, due to the force of rising liquid, reaching shoulder 47 of thevalve, displacing same until ports 19 and 20 become closed and ports 17and 18, (Figs. 2 and 4) regis ter again to again allow the compressedgas from pipe 4 to enter chamber 5. In this case, the rollers enter theannular groove 27 of the slide valve holding the same until the pistonagain reaches top 15 of the slide valve, repeating the operation.

In order to prevent the compressed gas pipe 4 from being crushed at itslower end by its own weight (for this would amount, anyway, to about 60kg. per 100 meters, respectively, to 600 kg. per 1,000 meters) a specialdevice is provided permitting the pipe 4 to be suspended andstraightened in the lifting tube 9 at intervals of 50 meters each. Thisdevice consists of a special nipple 41 provided with threads 42 whereoncoupling 43 is threaded to permit pipe 4 to be supported, and to rest onseat of a spider 44 mounted on ring 45 projecting inwardly from thejoint of the lifting tube 9.

The invention as described and illustrated may be clearly understood andno further explanations will be required by those versed in the matter.

As the invention herein shown and specied has been described in themanner of a preferred embodiment which is to be considered as anillustrative example and in no ways as a limitation upon the invention,same may be subjected to changes in its construction and details,without thereby departing from its essential nature, as clearly dened inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A pump for the extraction of liquids from casings of great depthincluding, a header having a uid outlet, a spent gas outlet and a gaspressure pipe inlet, a gas pressure pipe connected to said inlet aliquid lifting tube string suspended by the header in the casing, saidstring including concentric spaced liquid and spent gas tubing sectionsrespectively for carrying separately tiuid upwardly to said uid outletand spent gas to said spent gas outlet of the header, a plurality ofintercommunicating lifting units, each unit comprising, a couplinghaving adjacent ends of the lifting tube and spent gas tube sectionsattached thereto, said coupling having a central bore communicating withsaid gas pressure pipe, and also having a liquid bore in valvedcommunication with a related liquid tubing section and a spent gas borein communication with the venting space between the liquid and spent gastubing sections, a trap tube forming a thrust chamber and depending fromthe coupling and of less diameter than the related liquid tube sectionto alford communication to said liquid bore, a gas pressure tubeextension fitted at its upper end in the central bore and communicatingwith the inlet of the gas pressure pipe, said extension having lateralgas pressure outlet ports and closed at its lower end, an exhaust pipesurrounding a portion of the said extension in spaced relation theretoand fitting the same tight at its upper and lower end portions, saidexhaust pipe having upper outlet ports communicating with the spent gasbore of the coupling and also having lower spent gas inlet ports, asliding valve member shiftable on the said extension and having a lowerstem portion and an enlarged upper valve portion provided with upperports for registry with the lower spent gas ports of the exhaust pipeand lower gas pressure ports for establishing communication with the gaspressure ports of said pressure gas tube extension, abutment means onthe upper and lo wer portions of the valve member, and piston meansslidable on the stern port1on of the valve member and fitting in saidtrap tube, said piston being responsive to gas pressure from above andliquid pressure from below in the trap tube to alternately engage saidabutment means to shift the upper valve portion to regulate the registryof the said gas pressure ports and the said spent gas ports.

2. An apparatus according to claim l, wherein the upper portion of thesliding Valve member is provided with spaced keeper grooves, and springurged rollers carried by the coupling enter said grooves to maintain thesaid gas ports of the extension and valve member and also the spent gasports of the valve member and exhaust pipe in registry on the pressureand exhaust strokes of the piston operated valve member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

